Multiplex electric locomotive



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. J. VAN DEPOELE. MULTIPLEX ELEGTRIG LOGOMOTIVE.

No. 432,345. Patented July 15, 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. C. J. VAN DEPOELE.

MULTIPLBX ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE.

No. 432,345. Patented July 15, 1890.

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(No Model.) V 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. C. J. VAN DEPOELE.

I MULTIPLBX ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE. No. 432,345. Patented July 15,1890.

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' arrangement seen in Fig. 5.

oHARLESJ. VAN DEPOELE, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MULTIPLEX ELEC TRIC LOCOMOTIVE.

SBEQ IFICATIONLfOrming part of Letters Patent No. 432,345, dated July15, 1890.

Application filed March 11, 1889. Serial No. 302831. (No model) To allwhom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Multiplex Elec- .electric locomotives, and comprises animproved method of arranging, sustaining, and connecting the propellingmotor or motors with relation to the axle or axles of the driving-wheelsto which the power is to be applied.

The invention is not limited to any PttllJlCU:

lar form of truck or vehicle, since it may be used wherever applicable.

The details of construction, arrangement, and operation of myimprovements will be hereinafter fully described, and referred to in theappended claims.

111 the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation, showing an electriclocomotive embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of thelocomotive seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a slightlydifferent construction of the motor-support. Fig. 4- is a plan viewshowing the motor-supporting devices seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation, partly in section, showing a somewhat difierent constructionof the motor sustaining and supporting devices. Fig. (3 is also a sideelevation showing a modification of the Fig. 7 is a side elevationShowing the application of my invention to a truck of special form. Fig.8 is a plan view of what is shown in Fig. 7.

As indicated in the drawings,'A is the frame of a car or other vehicle,which frame is carried upon two pairs of separately-mountedsupporting-wheels B B, which maybe springsupported in pedestals b b inany known manher, and are hereinafter referred to as the driving-wheels.

B B are the axles of-the driving-wheels. C C are electric motors of thetype provided with parallel field-magnet cores D D, terminating in polarextensions (Z d, between which the armature E is transversely supported.The lower extremities of the fieldmagnets D D are connected by an ironyoke F, which is formed or provided with a transverse central aperturef, forming a journal, which is secured about and includes the axle ofthe driving-wheels, to which the motor is applied. The motor issustained in a substantially vertical position upon the axle ofitsdriving-wheels by its bearing f thereon. The journal f may be linedwith anti-friction material, requiring no oil, or of the ordinaryBabbitt, and supplied with lubricating devices of any desirable form.The axle of each pair of driving-wheels is provided with single ordouble large toothed wheel or driving-gear G, and the armature-shaft eis provided with a driving-pinion g, or with one on each end meshingwiththedriving gear or gears G. Since the armature-shaft e is at all timesparallel with the axle of the driving-wheels, therelationbetweenthearmature-piniongand thedriving-gearGwillremainalwaysthesame. Bysuitably proportioning the sizes of the pinion and driving-gear thesimplest possible mechanical connection is provided between the armatureand driving shafts, and all complication is thereby avoided. Thearmatureshaft e is provided in rear of the pinion g with a strongsleeve-bearing H, which,being properly secured to the polar extensionsof the field-magnets, will receive the upward pressure of thearmature-shaft and the pinion in mesh with the driving-gear. It may,however, be desirable in some instances to extend the armature-shaftbeyond the pinion G and to journal a link-connection h upon both thearmature-shaft and the driving-axle to provide an additional element ofstrength and durability to the motor-support. Links h are de sirablyplaced at each extremity of the armature-shaft when double gearing isused.

As here shown, both the driving-axles are provided with motorsconstructed and arranged as just described. Upon starting the motors themechanical effect of the drivingpinion g upon the driving-gear G willtend to rock the motors upon their axes forward or backward, accordingto the direction of'movement, but without altering the relation betweenthe pinion and driving-gear. The same effect will take place when thevehicle is be ing slowed down or stopped, and it will be impossible tosuccessfully operate a locomotive constructed as here described without5 some means for absorbing or cushioning this rocking tendencyot themotors, since, if held rigidly, so destructive a strain would be putupon the teeth of the gearing that it would result in very rapid wear,it not in actual breakage. I therefore provide butter-springs arranged,for example, in the following manner:

Between the driving-axles is located a rigid bar or frame I, which, forconvenience, may be bifurcated at each extremity and its ends f fjournaled upon the ends of bearingsff or upon the driving-axles on eachside'of the bearings ff" of the motor. The frame I prevents any changeof distance between the said driving-axles; but its connection therewithmust be sufficiently flexible to permit of their accommodatingthemselves to dilferences in the height of the rails upon which thedriving-wheels are supported. A vertical stand ard or standards 2' 1'extend upward from the bar I, terminating in a rigid guide J, locatedmidway between the upper extremities of the meters C. Upon the upperextremity of each motor (1 G are secured rigid lugs .1 J and alongitudinally extending bar K is hinged to each of the lugs J J passingthrough the guide J. Upon either side of the guide J are placedbullensprings k 70, the outer extremities of which are securelyconnected to the bar K and their inner extremities resting against theguide J. The said inner extremities of the springs 7s 7r may be attachedto the guide J or merely in contact therewith, in order to secure singleor double action, as may be desired. The opening in the guide J throughwhich the rod K passes should be large enough to admit of some lateralmovement in said rod, in order to permit lateral oscillation of themotors, as separate sets of driving wheels pass over portions of thetrack of different heights. Each motor being mounted in fixed relationto its supporting-axle, the driving pinion and gear will remain alwaysin the same relation. The two complete sets of driving mechanismrepresented by each moter and its driving axle and wheels will oscillatesomewhat with respect to each other upon an uneven track, and byproviding some play for the rod J in the guide K these movements cantake place without disarrangement or injury to any of the parts. The rodK should, however, be longitudinally quite rigid, in order to keep thedistance between the upper extremities of the motors constant. Then oneither starting or stopping the said motors they will rock forward orbackward against the pressure of the springs k 7,2, which said springswill absorb any sudden strain or pressure to which the gearing wouldotherwise be subjected.

As indicated in plan View, Fig. 4, the bifurcated extremities of the barI, being preferably supported upon the extremities of thesleeve-bearings ff", upon which the motors are journaled, will besomewhat separated and will depend for their freedom of movement upon aloose fit upon feed-bearings or upon the torsional flexibility of thebar I, which in case of very uneven track might subject the bar toundesirable strain. This difficulty can be entirely avoided bysupp0rting the bar I centrally upon the axles B 3, for example, asindicated in Fig. 5, where the bar I is provided with upturnedextremities I, which are supported upon the sleeve-bearings f f at abouttheir central portion, the

.yokes F of the motors being provided or formed with suitable recesscsi"in their lower portions to receive the ends 2" of the bar I. With thisarrangement very little play between the extremities of the bar I andthe supporting-sleeve will be sufficient to prevent cramping of theaxles B B.

Instead of making the rod K rigid and in one piece, it may be made intwo parts K K the rods K K being hinged to a projection J 3 upon thearms 01' standards 2' arrangement the lugs J J upon the upper portionsof the motors are desirably apertured to receive the rods K K which passhorizontally therethrough and are provided on each side of the said lugsJ J with buttersprings 7r? 7r. 7.; It, the action of which is similar tothat of the springs 7c h, but may give under some conditions a greatercontrollable range of movement, if desired.

IVhen the separate arms K K*, articulated to their support, are used, itwillnot be necessary that the central brace should be connectcd to theaxes of the motors, and an arrangement such as seen in Fig. 6 may be em-With this ployed, in which the standards 1' i are sccured directly tothe frame or bed A of the vehicle, which, being secured inlongitudinally-fixed relation to said axles, will then take the place ofthe bar I.

In Fig. 7 a form of truck is shown in which two driving-wheels L L areshown and arranged tandem upon a single rail L the said driving-wheelsbeing each provided with separate axles B B, which are supported insuitable journals spring-mounted in pedestals I), connected tolongitudinal frame-bars I), instead of to the frame A, as in the case ofthe vehicle previously referred to. On opposite sides of the saiddriving-wheels are secured upon the axles thereof driving-gears Z Z Z Z.Two pairs of motors M M 3PM are mounted upon the extremities of the saiddriving-axles in substantially the manner hereinbefore described. Thearmature-shaft of each motor is also provided with a pinion g, meshingwith the gear-wheels Z1? Z Themotors rock upon their axes, as previouslydescribed, and their action is controlled by butter-springs 7a 70,working against the guide J, as stated with reference to the precedingfigures.

Braces N N extend upward from the con I tral portion of the frame, andare secured at to is designed for a special purpose, and is furtherprovided with balancing or safety wheels P P, which are suitablyconnected to the main portion of the truck; but, since the peculiar formof operation or construction of the said truck forms no part of theoperation further than the application of my improved manner ofarranging, sustaining, and connecting the electro-motive power thereto,a

detailed description thereof is unnecessary. It will be entirely obviousthat instead of connecting the motors and mechanism shown in Figs. 1 to5 to driving-wheels separately connected with the body of a vehicle thesaid driving-wheels might be connected toa separate truck, upon whichthe body of a vehicle might be subsequently placed, or to a separatetruck designed to be pivotally connected under one end of a car-body, asin the well known railway passenger-coach. The improved relation betweenthe propelling-motors and the wheels to be driven secured by my presentinvention is wholly independent of the particular form of truck orconnection with the vehicle to which they may be applied, and may bevaried in many matters of detail without departing from the invention.It will be obvious, also, that the buttersprings and support thereformight be used equally well where a single motor mounted the motors uponits driving-axle was used instead of a plurality thereof; also, thatinstead of bifurcating the extremities of the bar I two separate barsmight be usedone at each side of the said bars being each provided withbraces i, to which the buffersprings might be separately connected.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. The combination of two axles, two propelling-motors journaled uponand radially movable upon their respective axles, a sta tionarylongitudinal connection between the motors, and butter-springs upon thestationary longitudinal connection, whereby each motor is flexiblysupported with reference 'to the axles.

2. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, a plurality of sets ofdriving-wheels secured rigidly upon transverse axles, a motor or motorsjournaled upon and radially movable upon said axles, driving-gears uponthe driving-axles, and driving-pinions upon the armature-shafts in meshwith said drivinggears, longitudinal connections between the upperextremities of the motors, and a buffer spring or springs upon saidrigid connection for absorbing the oscillations of the motors,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

\Vitnesses:

J W. GIBBONEY, CHARLES L. OECHSNER.

